12 minute read
Senior Recognition
Do not diminish our intelligence
Maya Chari Photographerhotographer
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I would like to preface this article with the fact that I (student) wrote every word, independent of the thought police. As this is the last piece I will be writing for the Prowler, I fi gure I might as well verbalize my feelings.
At the board meeting, on May 7, a speaker in the public comments said the following: “An article published in the Newbury Park Panther Prowler, April 25th edition, shows the depths to which some teachers will go to manipulate their students.” To this, I have a few things to say.
It is ironic that the Prowler staff is being diminished to some weak entity that simply regurgitates the words of some orchestrating powerhand, when in fact our paper is a student-run, student oriented and student empowering outlet. And I get it-- some of you I can’t convince; it’s like trying to convince an old white male to refl ect on why he cares so much about a blastocyst.
I joined the newspaper staff because I wanted to be able to express myself and to be there reporting on the frontlines of local issues that directly aff ect my peers. It was bittersweet; I expected to receive backlash but I never expected the community to respond by telling me my opinions are not even mine at all, or to twist my words beyond recognition.
Spending hours in the cramped Tuesday evening boardroom, taking notes on public speakers, interviewing students, teachers and board members, and meticulously writing article aft er article for three years has given me some insight on the nature of the optout policy. Th e following is my own personal stance, which I have reaffi rmed repeatedly but which I will put in simpler language in order to appease any lacking intellect: Opting out is fi ne. If a student feels they need to opt out, power to them.
My grievance is with the way opting out is advertised as a necessary means to protect students from “child pornography” and (most recently, as a white woman pointed out) “racism”. I am angered by the way the opt-out policy came to be without adequate student and teacher representation. I am mad that I have seen students who point out injustices get scoff ed off the stage at board meetings, while those who cherrypick and ridicule are elevated. I am upset about the way that intricate and powerful literature is dissected, publicly defamed and slandered. I do not mean, in any way, to marginalize victims of assault, nor have I ever stipulated so. Rather, I argue that these novels contain instrumental messages about gender roles, social dynamics, human nature and political oppression, and should not be taken out of context. I do not argue, as the speaker specifi ed, that it is “good for abuse victims to be forced to read graphic depictions of child rape.”
Th e speaker on May 7 continued to say that, “We seem to have a real problem in this district with a handful of political activist teachers.” To correct this obvious lack of understanding, the “problem” is a handful of political activist STUDENTS who were long silenced and are now speaking out and speaking loud. I understand that there is a generational divide; that young activists and kids involved in ethics and justice were uncommon prior to millennials. I suppose it is just something that just needs to be adapted to, like cell phones and the microwave.
I would like to conclude with a fi nal quote from the speaker: “I’m not sure what planet this advisor lives on.” As I hope I have established, all opinions I have published are mine not my advisor’s. Th erefore, I would like to address this ponderance: I live (as a matter of fact), on the earth (which is not fl at), in a lovely state called California where my rights as a student journalist are protected under United States federal law. To all you die hard patriots out there, I’m sure you understand what that means. #MayaOut.
Let’s cancel “cancel culture”et’s cancel “cancel culture”
Nidhi Satyagal Opinion Editorpinion Editor
In the 522 days until the 2020 Presidential Election, democrats are quickly applying the same #CANCELLED culture that ended James Charles to their weedy list of candidates. If Democrats want to be successful in 2020 they cannot rely on cancel culture to make their decision for them.
Th is is not to discount the evident absurdity of some of the Democratic candidates. However, let us not condemn our last hopes for savior from Trumplandia just because we like the hit of adrenaline we get every time someone is trending on Twitter because of a mistake. Cancel culture is a wannabe censure by the media. But we cannot allow the media to function as a unilateral moral compass for the political landscape. Politicians can be skeevy, unreliable and downright problematic-- that much has always been known. But we cannot pretend that one ankle bone is enough of a skeleton to throw away the whole closet.
Progressives need to remember that the ultimate goal is to, I don’t know, progress. Instead, democrats are ready to throw candidates under the bus for mild transgressions from vastly diff erent parts of their career. Th ere is simply no room for someone to make small mistakes, learn and move on (otherwise known as progress). Democrats cannot preach the value of consistency and subscribe to cancel culture at the same time. True consistency is not only about minor details in a politicians rhetoric, but also about practicing what is preached. If the party claims to be built on a platform of progress, there needs to be a constant push to center responses and actions around it.
Th e black and white mentality of this is good and this is bad breeds immature evaluations of these candidates. As a party based on a platform of progression, democrats cannot substitute progress with a bandaid response. Cancel culture creates a cycle where people are put on a pedestal, until they take one step out of line, at which point not only do they fall from said pedestal, but also supposed to fall off the face of the planet. Th is kind of quick to champion, quick to cancel mentality linearizes human beings in a way that is not compatible with the idea of progress or conducive to a healthy political process.
Cancel culture draws clear lines where they are not meant to exist, essentially simplifying and rewriting the stories of these politicians in the easiest possible way for people to digest. It gives people an easy way out to see exactly what they want to see and it diminishes the political process to fl imsy perceptions instead of policies and substance. cancel culture Marli Davis/Prowler
Even the best male feminist still sucks
Daria Azizad
Entertainment Editorntertainment Editor
Kavita Rai
Feature Editoreature Editor
Nidhi Satyagal
Opinion Editorpinion Editor
We have a nice pal who prides himself on being a feminist. He respects women. He listens when we speak. He doesn’t interrupt us. He stops mansplaining when we call him out on it. However, that all changes when we disagree. Th en, we become catty, bossy rude, aggressive and mean.
Sometimes, even the best male feminist is fi rst a male, then a feminist. A fair-weather supporter of the cause, if you will. Th e eff ort to upend gender inequity and personal bias comes to a halt at any inkling of a storm.
In order to have a debate, you need to respect your opponent, which becomes diffi cult when a woman’s impassioned argumentation is aggressive, confi dence is arrogance and emphasis is shouting.
Mentry to withdraw and elevate themselves by labelling any fi ght pertaining to women as “girl drama.” By cheapening a woman’s argument to a “cat fi ght” or “girl drama,” it becomes impossible to be received with any validity (because, of course, girl drama is hormone fueled and jealousy driven!). Arguing against someone that thinks nonsense of every word that comes out of your mouth is belittling.
Women have a double battle to fi ght: 1) the actual debate and 2) they have something valid to say in the fi rst place. Th ey carry the constant burden to prove that their opinion has worth. Take, for example, the 2020 Presidential Race. We constantly hear how women have no way to win because of the “likeability issue” or how people don’t fi nd women “electable.” How many times do we have to hear how Elizabeth Warren is a crazy lady because she wants to tax the ultra-rich to pay for college. All while Joe Biden regurgitates some tired, substanceless line about bringing people together and automatically becomes the beacon for hope in America.
Beto O’Rourke loses a Senate election, leaves his family for weeks to road trip around the country to “fi nd himself ” in the wake of this devastating loss and then announces his presidential candidacy on Vanity Fair, declaring that he was born for the role. And still, people view him as a solid, legitimate candidate. If a woman candidate were to act that way, she’d become the biggest laugh of America. Th e message is abundantly clear: empty, ridiculous words from men hold far more value than substantive arguments from women. But male “feminists” don’t bat an eye. Th e notion that a woman can run for president is accepted, but actually winning? Ha!
Th e idea behind this particular brand of feminism is far more about men validating themselves as decent, good quality dudes, not the actual support behind the movement to equality. At the end of the day, it is far easier for a man to make women feel small in order to make himself big. Where a woman can be exploited is where a man reaps his strength.
Feminism is not just a buzz word to pin to your vintage Dickies. It also means absolutely nothing when you only apply it at your convenience. To be an actual feminist, you have to constantly monitor your behavior and ask yourself, are my actions the product of ingrained stereotypical modes of thought? Am I being a ninny?
But that obviously takes a lot of eff ort and it is much easier to don those pair of Dickies and call it a day.
This wasn’t an easy year to be a student journalist for the Prowler. For several months, it seemed you were covering tragedy after tragedy. The Borderline shooting knocked the wind out of us all and yet you centered yourselves to cover the loss of our beloved community members and did it in a sensitive and respectful way that embodied what the community was feeling. #TOStrong
With every mass shooting comes the issues of gun reform and mental health; these are heavy topics and I was so impressed with how you interviewed people with diversifi ed perspectives and stuck to the facts.
The Hills and Woolsey fi re ignited just as were beginning to process the senseless deaths of loved ones in our own safe town, putting our families, our homes, our pets, and our friends in danger. Everything seemed like it was smoldering. The community felt hopeless and cut off from vital information, but you kept the community informed through various facets, reassuring those who were safe and warning those who may be in danger. You, student journalists did all this.
Each page design tackling these heartbreaking topics was clean, original, easy to follow, and devoid of distracting elements. I saw how hard it was for you to do all this. Those late nights ran long and you couldn’t help but tear up while copy editing those stories, but they were done right. I’m so proud of each of you and the courage it took to cover those stories plus the strength it took to keep your composure.
Your courage also shined through your coverage of our local politics. So many long nights and backlash from adults that ought to know better, but you persevered because you, as a staff , determined it Dear Prowler staff of 2019,
was important to your student body and their “right to know.” You showed what it meant when your Senator told you local politics matter. You exercised your student rights but did it with integrity, reacting with intellect and the law on your side. If there is anything you cannot be accused of, it’s you knowing journalism law and ethics, backwards and forwards.
Many of you attended three conventions in the last two years - San Francisco, Chicago, and Anaheim, placing ninth in the nation in Spring 2018. We created so many memories, trekking uphill for noodles (both ways!), test tasting San Fran chocolate, sight-seeing in Chicago and dancing in the Fall leaves, eating a true Chicago pizza, and following me through the windy city or to Downtown Disney.
And while our travels created some incredible memories, it always seems that late nights with our family-style dinners are where you feel the most at home. We learned not to stick Thinking Putty in hair, to save our work every fi ve minutes after 7 p.m. to avoid the instant shut down, that Starbucks runs solve all stressful situations, and that if you leave your phone in the J-room, you might end up with pictures of feet on your camera roll.
I will miss seeing all of you seniors. Clare and Connor, you were meticulous chiefs who worked well with each other and your staff . You learned from the best and now Emily and Aditya will pick up right where you left off . Seniors, check your yearbooks on page 348 for your personalized letter. I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing of your successes. Happy Graduation Daria, Maya, Nidhi, Kessa, Marli, Brian, Hannah, Connor, Sarah, Kavita, Clare, Jaycen, and Hailey!!! ~Saremi